Absolute Destiny Revolution
by Rarstarr
Summary: When Ranma, Usagi and Tenchi all - for one reason or another - transfer to Ohtori Academy, they leave behind many friends and rivals. After only hearing silence from the trio, those left behind start moving, one-by-one to Ohtori.
1. The Smiling Rose

Absolute Destiny Revolution

Chapter 1: The Smiling Rose

By David Farr

Characters and situations used in this work are the property of their respective owners and are used here without permission. This work is covered by international copyright laws. Permission is given to distribute this work only if unaltered and no fee is charged.

Warning: Contains spoilers for the Tenchi OAV series, the Utena series, the Ranma manga and anime series, and Sailor Moon anime series.

OoOoO

Proud and magnificent in her straight-cut yellow student council uniform, Nanami Kiryuu strode purposefully through the halls of Ohtori Academy. Students stepped out of her way as she and her three deputies hurried along. While Nanami was unique with her soulful blue eyes and blonde hair platted into a tiara around her head, the other three seemed so common that they could easily be mistaken for each other. In fact the easiest way to tell them apart was their hair styles: Keiko wore her hair tied and her bangs curled; Aiko had shoulder-length hair that curled prettily outwards; and Yuuko's hair curled in and around her cheeks.

"The chemistry club and the drama club are requesting permission to put on a show called 'A Festival of Light'," Yuuko read from her clipboard. "They intend to perform a dance routine against a back drop of fireworks. I've looked over their plans, and everything seems to be safe. Unfortunately they are experiencing some resistance from some of the faculty."

"Have you been to their rehearsals yet?" Nanami inquired.

"Yes," Yuuko replied. "I also had a chemistry major I know check over their recipe for the fireworks. He is sure they will react as required. I believe it is a good idea."

"Good," Nanami nodded. "Write a letter to the clubs indicating the Student Council's support of the plan. Word it appropriately--"

"The Student Council is pleased to see such ambitious and well planned work from the students of our school, and we are sure that the ingenuity displayed will help them in later life, etceteras."

"Exactly. Send copies to the clubs and accidentally leave one in the teachers' room."

"Right Nanami." Yuuko started scribbling furiously as she slowed her steps, letting Aiko swing out and speed up to take her place.

Meanwhile Nanami had turned to Keiko. "Next item?"

Keiko looked up from her notebook. "The Shadow Play Theatre group are complaining that someone has been drawing graffiti on their practice wall again. The Janitorial staff are getting tried of cleaning it up."

"Do we have any suspects?"

"A few, but nothing concrete." Keiko frowned slightly. "I've asked a few of the other clubs to set up a watch on the wall. At the moment I'm just bringing it to your attention."

Nanami nodded and started to turn to Aiko, but happened to glance out the window beyond her. "What the?" She stopped, forcing Yuuko to hurriedly side step to avoid a collision. The other two stopped a few steps onwards and turned back to see the student council president staring out the window and down at the sunlit courtyard below.

Yuuko looked out the window, confused. "It's just the rose garden. It's been there since Ohtori was built."

"It's also been untended for the past three years," Nanami shot, before spinning and running towards the nearby stairs, leaving her three deputies staring at her wake in confusion.

A dark dread rising within her, Nanami leapt down the stairs two at a time, leaping over the banister halfway down and sending students scrambling. She burst across the small courtyard and slammed into the glass door. Her heart pounding in her chest she peered through the ornate metal frame of the glass house at the figure happy watering the flowers inside.

She sighed in relief as the girl inside turned her rather plain, rounded, but definite Japanese, face towards Nanami. Her red hair made up for that, though, as it streamed down her back like two rivers of fire. She was wearing the normal white and aqua uniform of an Ohtori girl, including the terrible red tie with the single yellow stripe. As her deep brown eyes fixed on Nanami at the door, she smiled, simply, yet elegantly, and nodded her head.

Nanami reached down and hesitantly took hold of the small metal door handle, pulling it open.

"Good morning," the strange girl greeted her with a voice that left that no doubt that in her own little corner of the world, it was indeed a good morning.

Nanami took a deep breath to calm her runaway heart. "This garden is off limits to students. May I inquire as to who gave you permission to enter it?" 'And the key to the padlock I put on the door?' she added silently.

A slight frown touched the girl's lips. "Oh dear, Akio-san told me it would be alright."

Nanami felt the pain of an icy dagger sliding into her heart. "Akio-san," she repeated weakly. "Well, I suppose if the chairman allowed it, then it is okay." She smiled sickly.

"I'm glad. I like tending roses."

Looking around at the myriad of roses, so many different colours, all blooming in perfect health, Nanami felt the nostalgic pang for the last time she had been in the garden with someone who loved roses as much. "I can see that," she commented. "You have certainly breathed life back into the garden." She shook her head. "I'm Nanami Kiryuu, student council president."

"I am Hanako Asano, pleased to meet you."

Nanami nodded, stilling trying to put on a convincing smile. "Well, I will leave you to your roses. Please, take good care of them." She turned and strode out of the garden, not acknowledging the pleasant goodbye that followed her. Outside three fussing deputies joined her.

"Nanami, you look like you've seen a ghost!" Reiko exclaimed.

"Thankfully, I haven't," Nanami replied as she strode past them. "Find out all you can on that girl. Her name is Hanako Asano." 'And pray this isn't what I think it is.'

"Excuse me, Nanami." Aiko ran up next to her. "I stopped by your house to pick up some paperwork, and found this waiting on the hall table. It looked important, so I thought I would bring it to you."

Nanami glanced down at the girl's hand, and froze, again feeling the dagger's icy stab at her heart. Carefully she reached out and took the stiff white envelope with red trim from the other girl's hand. For a moment she wondered why the envelope was trembling, before she realised that her hand too was shaking. Slowly, carefully, fearing what she would find, she turned over the envelope.

Explosively, she let out the breath she didn't realise she was holding. It was not the red wax seal of a single rose. The letter did not come from him. Instead the seal was formed by the impression into purple wax of a signet ring bearing two roses with intertwined stalks.

"Nanami, are you okay?" Yuuko asked, watching her.

"Yes, I'm fine. This has just brought up some bad memories." As she spoke she unsealed the message and pulled out the page within. "I'm probably just being foolish."

"Do you still want us to investigate Miss Asano?" Reiko inquired.

"Yes," Nanami replied, as she unfolded the letter. "And check to see if the Acting Chairman is back in residence could you." She stated scanning through the letter.

"Akio?"

A deep scowl appeared on Nanami's face. Finally she crushed the letter into a ball and strode off once more. "I'll be in the Student Council chambers. Should anyone need me, they can get me on my celphone."

The three deputies slowed to a stop and watched the student council president vanish into the buildings of Ohtori once more.

Yuuko turned to the others. "No one's been up to the council chambers since we took over the job."

"Even before then," Reiko commented. "Not since Touga and his council left."

"Did they leave?" Aiko wondered aloud. "I'm sure I've seen Miki around."

"Miki would be the only one who hasn't graduated yet," Reiko pointed out. "The others would be in University now."

"So why isn't Miki on the council?"

"Maybe he decided he had something better to do," suggested Yuuko.

The three shared a glance and, knowing that no more could come of the conversation, headed off in separate directions to set about their separate tasks.

OoOoO

Nanami stood alone, arms crossed before her and silhouetted against the blue sky outside, as the elevator climbed the tower. Every so often a beam would roar past, but Nanami thought there was something missing. Other people for one, Juri and Miki had always joined her when she had made this trip before. The speech, that was it. Either she or her brother had always made the speech.

"If the chick cannot break free of the egg it will die without being born. We are the chick; the world is our egg. If we do not break the world's shell..." she trailed off with a sigh. It just didn't feel right any more, if everything was going to start again, she would need a new speech.

The elevator shuddered to a stop and the gates clattered open, revealing the darkened council chamber and the sunlit balcony beyond. Nanami was not surprised to see two figures already waiting near the table.

As she emerged from the darkness, her eyes adjusting to the light, she raised an eyebrow in surprise at the other two.

The woman sat in one of the white metal garden chairs, stretched out with her feet resting against the table's central column. Her hands were hooked under her brown ponytail to cup her head as she stared up at the clouds floating in the sky above them. Her white boys uniform was cut lose and held a single tassel to indicate her position in the council.

The young man stood nearby, his sapphire eyes intently fixed on the stopwatch cradled in his hand. As Nanami approached, he struck the button and the stopwatch beeped, he noted the time and looked up, reaching up to brush a lock of his blonde hair out of the way. Nanami had to admit that he had grown up well, and even cut a rather dashing figure in his white uniform.

"Mitsuru Tsuwabuki, Wakaba Shinohara, it's been a while," Nanami said evenly.

Wakaba threw herself out of her chair, and turned to glare at Nanami. "Nanami Kiryuu. I should have guessed our student council president sent those letters." She indicated two envelopes resting on the table, both bearing the purple seal of two intertwined roses. "What do you want?"

In answer Nanami strode up to the table and threw her own envelope onto the table. "I didn't send them, but I have some idea who did."

"Then who is 'The World Beyond'?" Mitsuru inquired.

Nanami looked out beyond the balcony at the forest. "I would prefer not to say at the moment. Besides, I don't think the name would mean anything to you."

"In that case, what are the duels, and why must we stop them?" Wakaba demanded. Nanami had once hated the girl for her ability to cut straight to the heart of the matter, she could barely remember why, but now it made her smile.

"The duels are a game played within Ohtori by a person called 'Ends of the World'. This game uses people like you and me as pieces, and the player doesn't care what happens to us." She snorted. "In fact we three were pieces the last time this game was played, and we were cast away when our gambits failed. You two more so than me."

The other two shared a glance before turning to glare at Nanami. "What do you mean?" they chorused.

Nanami smiled. "Let me tell you a story. It all started with a girl, who was sad, because she had lost her parents..."

OoOoO

Akane Tendo trudged along the street towards her home. Life had become boring for the brown haired martial artist.

First there had been the surprising announcement that Ranma was being forcibly transferred from Furinkan, to a school in another part of Japan. He had resisted, even to the point of putting the principal on another vacation but hadn't come up with a very convincing reason, of course. Then his mother had commented how the other school was such an opportunity, and Ranma had caved, his father following shortly after. Not that his father had really followed, no that would be too much to ask. Instead the lazy lump of fur continued to live off his friend's generosity at the dojo.

Then Ukyo had closed down her restaurant and moved across Japan to follow him. Apparently the okonomiyaki chef's record of school hopping had served her well. Since she obviously adjusted to new schools so well, the new school accepted her without blinking an eye.

Then the amazons left, also heading for Ohtori. Kuno somehow found out that his pig-tailed goddess was with Ranma, and he pulled some strings to get a transfer. Ryoga and even P-chan had stopped turning up.

Leaving Akane, by default, as the best martial artist in town once more. It was a bittersweet victory at best.

Shoulders slumped forward, Akane pushed open the front gate to her house. She trudged up the path, not even twitching as a curtain of rain swept across her. Once rain had been important in her life, a matter of whether the people around her were male, or even human, but not any more, it was just annoying.

"I'm home!" Akane called, kicking off her shoes.

Kasumi, Akane's oldest sister, emerged from deeper in the house, wiping her hands on her apron. "Welcome home, Akane. I hope you had a good day."

Akane shrugged. "It was peaceful."

"A letter arrived for you," Kasumi announced, reaching into the front pocket of her apron.

"Ranma?" Akane asked, her face brightening.

"I don't think so." Kasumi pulled out the envelope and handed it to Akane.

Akane could easily see why her big sister didn't think Ranma had written the letter. The envelope was pure white and stiff with red trimmed edges. On the front was only her name, no address, the characters carefully formed with a care and grace that Ranma had never shown in anything other than martial arts. Carefully she turned over the envelope, noting the seal with the intertwined roses on the back.

"It is not Ranma's style, is it?" Kasumi inquired. "Maybe it's another engagement." That earned a horrified look from Akane.

Carefully Akane broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the letter.

She quickly read through the letter, then turned to grab an umbrella from the stand. "I've got to go out Kasumi. I'll be back this evening." She hurried out the door, popping open the umbrella before vanishing into the rain.

"I wonder what was in the letter," Kasumi mused. "I do wish she had left it behind." She turned and, quietly humming to herself, went back to the kitchen.

OoOoO

The house was empty, the man decided as he opened the door. Before, when he arrived home he would have been assaulted by the aromas of a succulent meal, fit for a king, unsurprising since a princess would have been cooking it. Then he would have caught the soft sound of snoring from the lounge, and perhaps sneak a peek to see if the blonde sleeping on the couch had managed to roll into the compromising position. Finally he would have dreaded finding out what damage had been done to his lovely home during the course of the day, and secretly delighted at the chance to perhaps add some more changes to the design.

He sighed as he slipped into his house shoes and started sorting through the mail he had picked up at the letterbox. Now that was all gone, and the house was empty. Even his son had left. Which meant there was no one to do the chores. Without the girls, the house had started collecting dust and--

He blinked as he stepped into the lounge. The floors were polished to the point of shining; the glass doors so clean you couldn't tell if they were open or closed; and all the magazines were neatly stacked on the coffee table.

Glancing up he found the house's only other occupant draped over a beam near the roof. Her arms and legs dangled limply over the edges and her head hung back. She wasn't asleep, he realised, but she might as well have been.

"Bored Ryoko?" he inquired, still sorting through the mail.

The ex-space pirate raised her head and gazed at him blearily. "Oh, it's you Nobuyuki." She let her head drop back, making a painful sounding crack as it hit the beam. Nobuyuki made a mental note to check it later for damages. "Yeah, there's only so many hours of sitting around doing nothing you can take."

Nobuyuki stopped looking at the mail to stare up at her. "So you cleaned the lounge?"

"No, I cleaned the house."

'I need to find something for her to do!' Nobuyuki thought, looking back down at the pile of mail. 'Huh, what's this!' He stared at the envelope in his hand. "Ryoko, there's a letter here for you."

"What?!" the space pirate was off the beam in an instant and at his side. "Is it from Tenchi?" she inquired eagerly

"Doesn't say." He passed the letter to her. "Here have a look."

The fine paper of the envelope, the careful lettering that formed her name and the purple seal on the back meant nothing to the demonic girl as she tore it open. She quickly read through the letter, her face growing stern.

"I need some money," she said suddenly.

"What for?!"

She waved the letter. "I have to go into Tokyo to find out what's happened to Tenchi."

OoOoO

Ami sat at the back of the bus alone, staring at the city buzzing past the window. She thought about the letter she had found sitting in her locker. At first she had mistaken it for a love letter, and started to go into her allergic reaction. But she had managed to get far enough into the letter to realise that wasn't true.

'I just wish I could have seen Rei before hand, but it's been almost a month since I last saw her.' She frowned slightly as another thought occurred to her. 'I haven't seen Minako and Makoto for about that long too.' She sighed. 'After Usagi was sent away to Ohtori everyone became uncomfortable. It became harder to stay friendly to each other. Rei was always so domineering, Makoto's anger regained it hair trigger, and Minako's nattering was no help.' She smiled wryly. 'But then, I wasn't either, retreating from the confrontations. I guess we never knew how much our friendship relied on Usagi.'

As the bus stopped to let a few passengers on, her thoughts turned once again to the letter and its worrying missive. 'Usagi's not missing, she's just in another part of Japan. Yes, she promised to write, and hasn't, but she waited longer for Mamoru when he was away.' She looked out the bus window, and realised her stop was coming up. 'She may not be missing, but it is better to be safe than sorry.'

As Ami alighted from the bus she spotted the first part of the directions held within the letter. 'Go to the Prince of Roses Cafe...' she remembered. 'Outside will be a rose seller. Buy a single white rose from her.'

Sure enough, a girl stood outside the cafe, hold a basket full of roses over one arm. She was Indian, perhaps, any way her skin was dark, and struck an interesting complement with her dark purple hair. A white scarf was tied over her head to form a hood, and she wore a simple flowing dress made of red cloth. As Ami approached her she could see the girl happily humming and bobbing her head as she greeted passers-by with a nod.

"Excuse me," Ami greeted the girl, "may I have a white rose?"

The rose girl smile at her as she reached to the back of her basket. "My, those are popular today." She extracted a single white rose from the bouquet. "Here we go, a single white rose, complete with shirt clip." Ami noticed the golden clip that held the stem of the rose as the rose girl leant forward and attached it to the breast of Ami's uniform. "You are lucky, that was my last one. 600 yen please."

Ami looked surprised, the rose was surely worth more than that, but pulled out her purse and withdrew a few coins. "Ah, here we go."

"Thank you." The flower girl accepted the money with another happy little nod, and turned her attention away.

Ami turned away again, looking towards the cafe. The letter instructed her to go inside to meet with the others. What others it didn't say. Taking a deep breath she walked forward and pulled open the door. A number of heads were raised at the jingling of the bell above the door, only to look down again. Ami stood in the doorway, looking around, trying to see if she spotted any other white roses.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" A cyan-haired punk at one of the far booths started waving, earning glares from the rest of the patrons. Ami groaned when she saw the white rose held in the woman's hand.

At that point Ami briefly considered turning around and leaving. After all Usagi wasn't missing, she just had not contacted anyone. Really. That was all it was.

Another girl at the table, a brunette with an angry look on her face, shushed her companion, before waving Ami over. Giving another slight sigh, Ami made her way over to the table, weaving past the other diners as they returned to their discussions. Ami took a seat in the booth, and looked over her two companions, both of who were wearing white roses.

The punk wore a grey sleeveless vest over a light blue dress. The entire ensemble was designed to accentuate her obvious female attributes, without actually showing anything, or in fact, appearing immodest. Her hair spiked up and back off her head in what had to be one of the most natural appearing hairstyles Ami had ever seen. She leant back, regarding Ami with amused golden eyes that quickly made Ami turn her attention away.

The other girl also wore grey, although it was obvious that like Ami, she had come straight from school, not even bothering to change out of her uniform. Unlike the punk and Ami herself, this girl looked rather boyish, with a rather stocky - for a girl - frame, and a brown hair cut short. Ami vowed never to call Makoto a tomboy after meeting this girl.

Ryoko, on the other hand, wasn't impressed with what she saw. The new girl looked weak, and half-scared, certainly not worth anything in a fight. Blue hair was unusual amongst humans as far as she knew, but the tomboy didn't seem to be reacting to it, so not that unusual, she guessed. All up, the type of girl she expected to find in some hospital or store, "protected" by the local cops and avoiding the dingier parts of a city.

Deciding to break the silence, Ryoko leaned forward. "So, now that we've finished looking each other over, maybe we should talk about this?" She tossed her torn envelope onto the table.

Silently Ami pulled out her own letter. "Yes. I think that would be wise."

"Damn," the other girl cursed. "I was hoping one of you two had sent it."

Ami looked at the other two, trying to guess what they were thinking. Then she realised she had forgotten something and gave a quick bow with her head. "I am Ami Mizuno. I am pleased to meet you both."

"Akane Tendo. Pleased to meet you to." The tomboy had the decency to look a little embarrassed at the oversight.

"Ryoko, hiya." The punk didn't. "So you both know as much about this letter business as I do?" The other two nodded. "And you've both got no idea who 'The World Beyond' is?'" Again they nodded. "Great, just a collection of the clueless then."

"Not that you have any better ideas!" Akane snapped back. "What I want to know is how you two know Ranma!"

"Ranma?" the other two chorused.

"Isn't he why you're here?" she looked at them bewildered. "Some martial arts challenge or engagement?"

Ami sat blinking for a few seconds, but Ryoko answered. "I'm here because someone sent me a letter telling they knew what had happened to Tenchi. I've never even heard of your Ranma."

"It's Usagi for me," Ami added, then noticed the other shift away from her slightly. "Not like that. She's just a good friend."

"And I'm guessing she's gone missing too," Ryoko commented.

"Approximately two months ago she was sent to Ohtori academy by her parents. No one's heard from her since. I imagine the same is true for Ranma and Tenchi."

Ryoko nodded, but Akane added more. "Actually I haven't heard from anyone who went to Ohtori. Mostly I'm not surprised, but I would expect something."

Ryoko looked up thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I haven't either. Why didn't I think that before?"

"Excuse me." The three around the table looked up to find a waitress holding a tray full of cups standing over them. The oddest thing about the waitress was that, instead of the frilly dress the other waitresses in the cafe were wearing, she wore one of the men's uniforms, something more akin to a suit.

As the three pulled back she lifted a fine china teacup off the tray and placed it on the table in front of Ryoko. The scent of roses wafted across the table as she placed a second and third cup in front of Ami and Akane.

"Hey, we didn't order these!" Ryoko complained.

The pink haired waitress smiled. "These were paid for by the gentleman over there." She pointed to a distant table, where the trio could she man with pale purple hair wearing a white suit and cape, facing away from them.

Ryoko started to stand, but stopped when she felt Ami's hand on her arm.

"Let's drink the tea, and let him come to us."

"Okay, whatever." Ryoko flopped back down into her chair. She snatched up the delicate cup, and knocked back the entire brew. She immediately started coughing and spluttering.

"Ryoko!" Akane was out of her seat in an instant, and slapped Ryoko hard on the back. Ryoko gave one final violent cough before something small and round flew from her mouth and skittered across the table to strike Ami's cup with a chime.

"Sasami never put stuff like that in our tea at home," Ryoko commented as Akane returned to her seat, nursing her hand.

Ami gingerly retrieved the object, holding it up for the others to see. It was a white signet ring, with a carving of a red rose, an expensive piece of jewellery, apparently untouched by the tea. "Your's I believe."

Ryoko accepted the ring from Ami, and looked at it. "Never seen it before in my life."

"I wonder," Akane said suddenly, before shoving her hand into her tea. Quickly she pulled it out, revealing a second ring, a duplicate of the first. She turned expectantly to Ami, her hand still dripping tea.

Shrugging, Ami picked up the spoon from her cup's saucer and dipped it into the tea. She immediately felt the spoon strike something and carefully lifted a third ring from her cup. "Interesting. I can't help but feel I've seen this somewhere before."

"Excuse me." The trio looked up to find their waitress had returned. "Sorry about this, but the gentleman also asked me to give you these." She held out two envelopes, one a large A4 manila, the other the same ornate letter type they had originally received.

"Thank you." Ami nodded, taking the two envelopes. The larger one was fat and heavy.

"He's gone," Akane commented as the waitress left.

Ami glanced over to the table at the distant table, confirming it was empty.

"Damn!" Ryoko swore, having done the same. "Ryo-ohki!"

A small brown furry creature jumped up onto the table. It looked a little like a cat crossed with a rabbit. 'Maybe it is one of those long pawed breeds,' Ami thought, 'although I have never heard of a long eared bread of cat.' To further confuse the issue, the creature had a half eaten carrot in its mouth.

"Ryo-ohki, did you see where he went?" Ryoko demanded of the creature.

"Miya," the creature replied sadly, dropping the carrot onto the table.

The spiked-haired girl frowned. "Where did you get the carrot?"

"Miya miya." Ryo-ohki pointed across the room at where the waitress was talking with what looked like the manager.

"She dropped it?" The little creature nodded emphatically to Ryoko's question, then went back to chewing on the carrot. "Well she's a lot of help," Ryoko grumbled. Ami looked at Akane, who simply shrugged in return.

Ami put the large envelope on the table, then opened the letter.

"'To the three who seek one who is lost,'" she began reading.

"'It is to my deepest regret to bring you the news that those you hold dear have become trapped in the secret of Ohtori. In a moment of weakness each sought escape from their problems, and through no fault of there own, have lost their way. Now they have become the pawn of another who seeks to regain a lost destiny.

"'But fear not, for you three can rescue them. You must go to Ohtori, and take part in the duels that occur there amongst the shadows. Only then will they return. But be warned, it will take all of you three to gain them back. Separately you can hope for the return of only one.

"'I have supplied you with that you lacked to gain you entrance to the academy. Be wary, many of your allies and enemies have already preceded you there, and they are unaware of all that transpires.' It's signed, "The World Beyond.'" Ami finished.

"What's this lot?" Ryoko demanded, tossing the contents of the manila envelope on the table.

Picking it up, Ami starting leafing through the pages. "Acceptance letters and forms for transfer to Ohtori. Timetables. A passport and birth certificate for Ryoko Hakubi." Ami raised an eyebrow at the other girl, then opened the passport and flicked through it. "Complete with a valid student visa. I must say, you speak Japanese very well for an American."

"Where's America?" Ryoko asked immediately, grinning.

Ami rolled her eyes, and continued through the stack. "There's even dorm assignments on campus. Looks like we have a pair of doubles between us. Akane and I in one room, and Ryoko in the other. Unsurprisingly they are right next to one another."

"I believe..." Akane said before pausing in thought. "I believe there is something I should tell you both, if we're going to be working together on this."

"What makes you think we will?" Ryoko inquired.

Akane looked thoughtfully at the letter Ami had been reading. "There's no reason to believe that we can do this alone, there's a better chance if we follow The World Beyond's advice, at least for a little while. Plus, the letter didn't promise us that we would get back the one we wanted should we succeed alone." She looked at Ryoko. "What if the one you rescued was Ranma or Usagi, instead of Tenchi."

Ryoko was about to make a snappy retort, when the memory of the battle against Kagato surfaced in her mind. Especially the pain she felt when she believed Tenchi dead. "You've got a point there." She shrugged. "Oh well, what say we meet again at Ohtori, and plan some more there?"

Ami nodded in agreement. "It would be best to hold any more discussions until we had more information." She started sorting through the pile of papers on the table.

Akane looked from one to the other. "Shouldn't we get to know each other? We are going to be working together."

"Later." Ryoko waved her off. "I just wanna get to Ohtori at the moment."

"This will help," Ami told her, handing Ryoko the lion's share of the documents. She then stood, taking another, smaller, pile of documents. "I will see you at Ohtori."

Akane watched as the blue-haired girl left. "So what about you Ryoko?" she asked, turning back, only to find herself alone at the table.

OoOoO

In the apartment above the caf? a pink-haired girl watched as first one, and then a second girl wandered away from the establishment below. Both headed in different directions to get to different parts of Tokyo.

"Do you think they can do it?" a feminine voice asked from behind her.

The pink-haired girl turned, to find a white-clad Indian prince standing in the door-way. As he walked across the room towards her, his purple hair darkened and lengthened to curl up into a bun on his head. The white uniform he wore darkened to a scarlet, and flowed out into long dress. At the same time his body shrank and filled out, until he was a woman.

"I think they have a chance," the pink-haired girl replied. "I just don't think its fair."

"If they knew the truth, it would be harder for them to prevail against him." The other girl replied stepping up. She raised her hand to rest against her friend's cheek. "You saved me and our friends. Now they must save their friends. This is the way it must be."

The pink-haired girl smiled wanly. "So, is there a part for us in your plan?"

The Indian girl returned her smile with a warmer one. "That is something you'll have to wait to find out."


	2. Arrogance and Destiny

Absolute Destiny Revolution

Chapter 2: Arrogance and Destiny

By David Farr

Characters and situations used in this work are the property of their respective owners and are used here without permission. This work is covered by international copyright laws. Permission is given to distribute this work only if unaltered and no fee is charged.

Warning: Contains spoilers for the Tenchi OAV series, the Utena series, the Ranma manga and anime series, and Sailor Moon anime series.

*****

The apartment wasn't as spacious as the house they had lived in back in Tokyo, Haruka reflected. It was almost as sparse as that one had originally been, but she was sure that as before, life would change that.

Originally, when only herself and Michuru had lived in the apartment in Tokyo, they had kept just enough to be comfortable. In the lounge, for example, there had been a single coffee tables around which clustered a sofa and a couple of chairs, a few cabinets containing the necessary appliances, and lots of empty space.

However they had moved in with Setsuna and Hotaru, the emptiness had quickly filled up, not just with Setsuna's objects d'art or Hotaru's knick-knacks and soft toys, but also with their presence. They had gone from the apartment of a cold lonely couple, to the warmth of a bustling, energetic, family home.

Their Ohtori apartment hadn't gained that feeling yet, but it would only be a short time, Haruka knew, before everyone changed that. Already Haruka watched the young black haired girl playing a board game - Monopoly or something - with her new friend, Hanako Asano, the mysterious, although pleasant, Rose Bride.

Haruka watched the pair closely, as they set up the game. Hanako was peering at the instructions, finding them a little hard to read in the deepening shadows of evening. Hotaru had shifted around the table to read over her shoulder, but was finding the small print just as hard to read. To save them the trouble, Haruka reached around the door frame to fell for the switch there.

Both glanced up as the light burst into life above them, smiling and nodding their thanks when they spotted her standing in the doorway. It was only moments before they had returned to reading the card that came with the game, and discussing the rules.

"A yen for your thoughts?" Michuru asked, stepping up behind her.

Haruka turned away from the kitchen door to face her partner, only to find she and Setsuna standing not far away, nursing steaming cups of tea to ward off the evening's chill. "Just thinking of the difference between this apartment and the house in Tokyo."

"It's a little smaller," Setsuna commented, "but we do not plan to make this place our home, so it will be enough."

Haruka winced slightly. "Yeah well, that's true."

"What do you two think about our Rose Bride?" Michuru stepped up beside Haruka to peer into the lounge. "She seems like a nice enough girl."

"You've got to wonder why she's involved in all of this. What does she get out of it that makes her willing to be so submissive? I mean, 'I follow the will of the person to whom I am engaged' what kind of line is that?"

"If we have an answer to that question, I believe we will know the secret behind the game that is being played here," Setsuna interjected sagely. "It is possible that Hanako is even more of a pawn than we are intended to be."

"A pawn, if well played, can easily become a Queen," Michuru observed.

"Does it really matter?" Haruka demanded. "Right at the moment, she's harmless. I just have to keep winning those stupid duels while we look for Usagi. If I get the Power of Miracles, or Eternity, or whatever it is we are fighting for, all the better, but Usagi is our main focus."

Michuru gently reached out to put a hand on Haruka's shoulder. "Have you thought that maybe the Power of Miracles might be Usagi? Or at least have something to do with her?"

"Huh?"

"All through the Sailor Wars, you and I saw her rescue corrupted souls, even those we thought irredeemable like Hotaru and Galaxia. If anyone can perform miracles, it is Princess Serenity."

*****

Evening's shadows had long since deepened into the dark blanket of night. The city had long since quieted and darkened, leaving only the fun fair's lights blazing in the distance. In the small apartment five women slept, resting for the day ahead of them.

Hotaru slept surrounded by stuffed furry animals and the trappings of a childhood she has yet again been denied. Her bed was soft, and after a night playing games - she had even managed to convince Setsuna to join in - she was already deep in sleep, beyond even the realm of dreams.

In another room, Setsuna rested in a large canopied bed. She lay, slightly curled, between her silk sheets, nestled in the dreamless oblivion of one who had learnt to banish the worries that were her constant companions in the light. The loneliest senshi always slept well in her nightly oblivion, although she would be surprised to find that, if she would only allow it, she could dream the wonders of her new family.

The largest bedroom in the apartment held not one, but two beds, close enough to be together, yet distant enough to be chaste. Unlike their housemates, the two that slept in them both dreamed.

In the case of Michuru, they were calm and peaceful dreams that brought the occasional twitch to her slumbering form or a slight smile to her lips. It was never enough to disturb the covers, nor anyone else.

Haruka was another matter. Often times the sandy-haired girl would wake in the morning to find the blankets tangled about her legs or discarded to the floor by her restless movements.

Haruka awoke with a start, coming upright in bed, gasping for breath. Sweat poured off her as her gaze shot around the room in a frenzy of fear.

The other head in the room was raised off its pillow. "Are you okay?" Michuru inquired.

Haruka turned to stare at her long time partner, her breathing slowly coming under control. "Yes, yes. Just a bad dream." She took a single deep breath and let the tension fall from her shoulders.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Michuru enquired.

Haruka gave her lover a wry grin. "No, it'll be okay." She swung out of bed, and slowly stood. "I think I'll go get a glass of water before getting back to sleep."

"Okay," Michuru lay back down as she listened to the soft footsteps on the carpet. Even when the door clicked behind Haruka, she didn't return to sleep.

Haruka drank deeply of the water. When she stopped she realised she had refilled the glass four times. And it wasn't a small glass. She half filled it once more before tossing the water into the sink, then left the glass upside down on the bench to be washed with the morning dishes.

Returning through the silent apartment, Haruka paused in the doorway of one of the bedrooms to stare in at the figure sleeping in the bed. Unlike the others, this room had no personality at all. The girl inside lay sprawled beneath the covers, her chest slowing rising and falling in the rhythm of someone who had long left the waking world behind.

Haruka gently thumped her balled fist against the door frame. "I won't let it happen," she whispered harshly. "She won't be hurt this time!" She turned and paced away.

Hanako rolled over in her bed, the murmuring of her long hair sliding across the sheets unnoticed by her groom.

*****

Nanami stood in the elevator, arms crossed before her and silhouetted against the blue sky beyond the tower. As the elevator climbed the tower Nanami spoke. "Cloth is formed by threads woven together to form a pattern."

Mitsuru leant, back against the elevator wall, holding a camera up to his eye.

"If the pattern is flawed, then the weave will unravel." Nanami intoned.

Wakaba stood on Nanami's other side, staring out across the school. She gently rested her curled fingers on her chin, looking thoughtful.

"The world is our weave, the duels are the flaw." Nanami continued. "To protect our destiny, we must change the pattern. Shatter the rose signet --"

The elevator slid to a stop and the metal doors rattled open revealing the student council chambers.

"-- for the revolution of the world!" the three declared.

Nanami stood next to the table on the balcony, staring out at the clear blue sky. Above her head she held a yellow umbrella, from which came the soft pitter-patter of falling rain. "We have received another message from The World Beyond. Already the first duel has been won by a young man by the name of Haruka Ten'ou."

"Ten'ou is a woman," Mitsuru interjected tossing a photo of a handsome blonde onto the table. She wore one of the more well cut light blue men's school uniforms, but the jacket hung open, revealing a white shirt that, while loose, failed to hide her gender. He quickly returned to hunching over the minutes book, and scribing down the discussion.

"A masculine woman," Wakaba added, from where she held both her own violet umbrella and protected Mitsuru with his aqua umbrella.

Nanami turned, frowning. "Does she not live with another girl in an apartment off campus?"

Mitsuru gave a quick nod, tossing a photo of an elegant girl with aqua hair on top of the previous one. She wore one of the girl's uniforms, and somehow managed to make the red tie and stiff, short skirt look elegant. "Yes, Michuru Kaiou. They are sharing their apartment with two others."

He tossed a photo of a slightly exotic looking woman in a pale blue business suit. This one's hair was black with hints of a dark green in it. "Setsuna Mehou. Job unknown, age unknown. Apparently no connection with Ohtori, except that she too wears the signet."

A fourth photo joined the others. This showed a young girl, perhaps eleven or twelve, with dark hair and a pale face. She wore a soft, sad smile on her face. "Hotaru Tomoe, again, no known relation to any of the others. She is a student here in the junior school. Thankfully she doesn't wear a signet."

"My, what an interesting _family_," Wakaba commented, raising her voice to be heard over the sound of the rain drumming on their umbrellas.

"Be that as it may, we must discuss what actions we are to take in the proceedings. The World Beyond directs us to interfere without guiding us in a direction. In order to enact this plan, we must first find out who the new duellists are."

Mitsuru abandoned the book for a second to pull a folder out of his bag. "I have found all twelve duellists."

"Fifteen," Wakaba corrected. "Three have more arrived in the last fortnight." A whistling wind joined the sound of rain, once again forcing the student council to speak louder.

"Ah, other than those three, I have already compiled a file containing pictures and basic statistics of the duellists. I am afraid their school files do not contain anything we might use." Mitsuru offered the file to Wakaba as she leant forward.

Nanami watched as the other girl flicked through the folder. "Can you see what you can get us with your connections, Wakaba? I believe you are familiar with the members of many of the clubs which participate in interschool activities."

"Of course, Nanami," Wakaba tossed the file to the table where it sat amongst the photos, dry and peaceful in the still air.

"May I ask what you'll be doing?" Mitsuru shouted above the roar of the wind.

"I have sources--" Nanami paused while thunder rolled across the heavens "--of my own. Do we have any other business to discuss?"

The other two shook their heads, not bothering to try to be heard over the sounds of the storm.

"Then I call this meeting of the student council to an end!" Nanami turned and strode off into the darkness of the tower.

Wakaba grabbed the file off the table while Mitsuru gathered up the minutes book and his photos. He accepted his umbrella off the other student council member, and together they headed back under cover.

*****

Ryoko awoke to the sound of a car door slamming outside. Blearily she raised her head to look around the room. Stark white walls, check; chandelier, check; poncy furniture, including the piano, check. She was still in the common room of the dorm. 'Damn, it wasn't a dream.'

She heard the clumping of feet coming down the stairs, heralding the approach of one of her dorm mates. The door was shoved open by a fuming Akane. Ryoko could easily see why: the tomboy had elected to wear the girl's uniform, something Ryoko was still considering.

It might look good on Ryoko, after all she had the sexy body to wear the tight shirt and stiff, extremely short skirt. Akane, on the other hand, found it embarrassing. She had spent most of the morning trying to get the shirt to hang right; it seemed made for someone impossibly thin. The skirt was another matter: normally she favoured long skirts, not to hide anything of course, it was she just didn't like all the guys looking. Honest.

"Ryoko, stop being so lazy!" Akane snapped. "Ami has just arrived and is having trouble with her bags. Come and help!"

Sighing, Ryoko floated up off the sofa before remembering herself. She quickly dropped to her feet, and glanced at Akane, feeling a little relieved when she noticed that the tomboy had already stomped off. While normally she wouldn't care if strangers knew about her powers, she had decided to keep them a secret for when things went bad.

Outside, the taxi driver was pilling bags on the curb next to Ami. Finished, he offered her a tip of his hat before hurrying back to the car. In moments Ami was alone on the pavement, with only a distant cloud of dust to mark the cab's passage.

Turning Ami regarded the building at which she had been deposited. It was palatial in both stature and architecture. The Greco-Roman appearance of the building did not fit into modern Japan, but looking around the neighbourhood, Ami was forced to wonder if perhaps she wasn't in modern Japan any more. The spacious lawn surrounding a large building that stretched out, not up, didn't really fit in with her concepts of Japanese big city construction. Certainly they seemed grand for student accommodation.

Her worries were expelled when one of the two girls, Akane if she remembered rightly, stormed out the front door. Ami looked, half in horror, half in amusement, at the uniform Akane was wearing.

On most of the girls Ami knew, herself included, the outfit would have been flattering, although only perhaps too close to exhibitionism for Ami's taste. Unfortunately Akane's frame wasn't suited to it, and it was obvious that the other girl wasn't pleased with this. She also briefly wondered who had decided on the wide red tie added to the ensemble.

Ryoko followed Akane out the door, arms hanging loosely. The punk girl wasn't wearing a school uniform, instead favouring an outfit that made Ami wonder about her fashion sense. The outfit hugged Ryoko's form, and emphasised the girl's breasts with a rather disturbing pair of cat's eyes. A black tail dragged lazily on the ground behind her.

Akane's face softened as she approached the gate, and by the time she reached Ami, the girl was smiling. "Ami, it's good to see you again!"

"It is good to see you too Akane," she nodded. "Umm, is that the school uniform?"

A look of irritation passed over Akane's face. "Unfortunately. In fact it arrived today." She gave the other girl a wry grin. "Yours came too, I hung it up in the closest in our room."

"Thank you." She turned to Ryoko, to find the other girl carrying the entire pile of bags in one hand. She started at that, but decided against commenting. "What about you Ryoko? Why aren't you in uniform?"

A brief snort came from the other girl. "You're kidding right. That outfit is made for perverts to look at. I'm not going to waste it when Tenchi isn't around." She grinned and gave Ami a wink. "Actually I got both a guy's and girls. But I'm finding it tough to chose between them, neither is really my style." She turned towards the dorm. "Come on, let's get you moved in."

Inside, Ami marvelled at the spacious entrance hall. A stairway went up one side of the room to a landing that passed over the dorm mother's office. The silence of the place, broken only by their footsteps was eerie. "Where is everybody?"

"What everybody?" Ryoko shot back as she mounted the staircase.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone else in the dorm," Akane explained. "All the other rooms are empty and locked. We have the entire place just between the three of us."

"It'll make holding parties easy," Ryoko added.

"You mean we don't even have a dorm mother?"

"I haven't seen one," Akane returned.

"Isn't that kind of strange?"

"Well, yes." Akane looked around. "But it's nice to be out on my own for once." She paused looking a little uncomfortable. "I hope this doesn't sound too strange, but I was wondering if you can cook?"

"Yes, why?"

Relief flooded Akane's face. "Neither Ryoko or I are very good cooks. I was getting bored of instant noodles and curry."

"Hey, it's not my fault that I usually cook only for myself. I have a cast iron stomach you know!" Ryoko commented from ahead as she turned into one of the passages.

"And no sense of taste," Akane joked. "You enjoyed a dinner that had me throwing up!"

"You cooked it!"

"Maybe when we divide up the chores, I should take most of the cooking duties," Ami suggested. "If you two don't mind, of course."

"Would you? Thank you."

"Here we go!" Ryoko announced, stopping at a door. "You room." She reached out, the pile of bags still balanced easily on one hand, and pushed open the door. Deftly she manoeuvred the bags through the door, before dumping them on the ground.

Ami was amazed at the room. It was bigger than some apartments she had seen in the city, with more than enough space for the small table in the centre of the room. One wall was taken up by a pair of bunks, the lower of which was unmade, marking it as Akane's. Opposite them sat two oaken writing desks, one pristine, the other covered in books and scraps of paper. A single window adorned the window opposite the door, and the closet that Akane had talked about sat next to the latter.

"This is a student's room?"

"Personally I can't see why anyone would want avoid this place," Ryoko commented. "I ain't seen a single ghost the whole time I've been staying here."

"Ghost?"

Akane nodded, her face taking a solemn and secretive cast. "Rumour has it that this dorm is haunted, and that's why nobody stays here.

"It is said that the last two people who lived here left under mysterious circumstances. One vanished one night while both slept soundly in this very room. The next morning when the other awoke she found the only other living thing in the dorm to be a horrid creature that she found eating its way through the food in the pantry. She left the school and dedicated her to life wandering the world looking for her friend, the strange creature her only companion." She laughed, breaking the mood. "At least that was one tale I heard. Another was that they moved into the Chairman's wing and something scandalous happened there that caused them both to transfer to another school."

"How long have you two been here?" Ami asked.

Ryoko shrugged. "Me, about two weeks. Her five days."

"You came here the day after we talked?"

"Sure, nothing keeping me at home. Just had to say goodbye to Nobuyuki and the old man, then grab a lift with Ryo-ohki, and wham, I'm here."

"Ryo-ohki? Was not that the name of your pet?" Ami looked around. "Where is she?"

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen the little carrot muncher around all day," Akane added.

"Oh, she's out exploring. She'll come back when she's hungry." She cocked her head to one side. "Ah, that voice sounds familiar." She squeezed past the other two and out the door.

"Wha?" Ami and Akane stared at each for a second, before straining to hear the distant voice calling out Ryoko's name.

*****

Mitsuru spotted her across the cafe. It wasn't hard, since she still habitually wore the massive spatula on her back stuck up above the crowd. She wore, as usual, one of the men's uniforms, but not one of the stylishly cut ones that he now remembered another girl wearing so many years ago. Instead she could easily have passed as "one of the boys", and her school record informed him that she indeed had many times.

Still, unlike his fellow students, Mitsuru had trained himself to spot the hidden potential in others. With this skill he had excelled at his favourite hobby, photography. As he gazed on Ukyo Kounji he could see a cute girl, with a fragile happiness covering a deep pain. Some day, he was sure, she would blossom into a beautiful woman, if she let herself.

And as he stared, he realised that she was looking for an empty seat. He waved at her, a gesture she noticed and headed over.

"This seat is free, if you don't mind sharing a table," he offered.

She smiled at him brightly, before placing her tray on the table. "Thank you... ah..." she trailed off as she started to pull her spatula from her back.

He nodded his head. "Mitsuru Tsuwabuki. I'm the secretary on the student council."

"Oh, pleased to meet you. I'm Ukyo Kounji, I just transferred to this school."

Mitsuru gave her a charming smile. "I thought so. I didn't recognise you, and I pay attention to the faces around me." He gently sliced a piece of meat from his lunch.

"Really?" Ukyo shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes, it's for my hobby," he waved his fork at the camera sitting on the table. "I like taking pictures of students around the school. A number of people have modelled for me in the past, but I'm always on the look out for more talent."

"Oh, and I caught your eye?"

"Well yes," Mitsuru smiled. "We don't get many girls who are daring enough to wear a boy's uniform, and most can't pull it off as well as you." He paused, acting as if thinking for a moment. "In fact I can think of only one other, and she left before I took up photography."

Ukyo leaned forward across the table, a gleam in her eye. "So, do you want me to pose for you?"

"I'm not sure. The student council takes up so much of my time now. I'm afraid I just can't drop everything and take pictures of some pretty girl." He smiled. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Why do you carry that around?" he indicated the large spatula. "You really shouldn't."

"Oh. Habit I guess," she replied. "I use it in my martial art, and at my last school you always needed to be ready to fight."

"You must be relieved that Ohtori has a strict no fighting policy."

Ukyo wilted a little. "I'm not really sure. There are a few people I've seen around that I would love to pound into the ground."

"Oh?" Mitsuru smiled. "Not me I hope."

Ukyo brightened again. "No, definitely not you."

Mitsuru glanced at his watch, then frowned. "I'm sorry, I must go, important student council business." He stood, sliding in his chair. "I hope we can eat lunch again like this."

*****

"Ryoko!"

"Miya!" Ryo-ohki was glad to have her playmate and perch back. She looked happily over sky blue pigtails sprouting from the hair atop Sasami's head. The happy little girl wore an Ohtori uniform similar, except that she had added the embellishment of a pair of small pompoms the hung just below her neck on her back.

The girl next to her glanced around, a little embarrassed by her friend's exuberance. "Sasami, maybe she isn't around." Hotaru was a fairly tall girl for her age, who, until recently, had spent most of her day in a sick bed. The resulting pale skin made a stunning counterpart for her glossy black hair, adding to her fragile appearance. The frail look didn't quite reach her eyes, though. A single glance in those deep purple pools found the determination of a survivor.

"Sasami!"

Hotaru turned to see a spiky haired woman in an outfit that looked like a cat's face leap over the banister and drop to the floor with practiced ease.

"Ryoko!" Her young friend dashed over to the woman. "How long have you been here? Why haven't you been around to visit sister Aeka and me?"

Ryoko smiled happy at the young girl. "Hey, sorry, but you guys never sent me the address. How was I supposed to know?"

"Oh yeah, I kept forgetting." Sasami dimmed a little as a thoughtful look passed over her face. "I wonder why?"

"Doesn't matter now. You're welcome to come visit anytime you want. Maybe we can get everyone together and have a party." She looked over at the dark haired girl standing not far away. "You can even invite your friend here."

Sasami brightened again. "Ryoko, this is a friend I met here in Ohtori. She's just moved here too."

Hotaru stepped forward. "Hello, my name is--"

"Hotaru?!" the cry from the upper level startled all three, causing them to look up. Ami was hurrying along the balcony, Akane close in tow.

"Ami? What are you doing in Ohtori?" Hotaru asked.

"I was about to ask you the same question," Ami returned as she came off the stairway to walk over to the small gathering. "Wait, if you are here, then..." She paused. "Are Haruka and Michuru here too?"

Hotaru nodded. "And Setsuna-mama too."

"They're looking for Usagi too then," Ami mused. "Interesting."

"You four all know each other?" Akane inquired, looking between them.

"Small galaxy, ain't it." Ryoko chuckled. "Sasami here is the younger sister of my rival for Tenchi. Despite that, we get along great."

"Miya!" Ryo-ohki added.

Ami nodded. "Hotaru and I met through another friend. She wasn't feeling very well at the time, and we all worried about her."

"Ami, you're wearing a ring!" Hotaru exclaimed, then placed her hands over her mouth.

"Wow, Hotaru, you know someone who's in the duels too?!" Sasami cried.

Hotaru nodded slowly. "I'm not supposed to talk about it."

"Why not? Everyone here has one..." Ryoko waved her hand with her own ring, "...or in Sasami's case knows about it."

"Yeah, my sister Aeka, Washuu and Mihoshi all have rings! And Ryoko too now!"

"Miya!" Ryo-ohki agreed from the top of her head.

"Well, I suppose it's okay then."

"Hotaru, do Michuru, Haruka and Setsuna all have rings?" Ami inquired.

"Yes, and Haruka-papa won the last duel. She says that means everyone is going to be challenging her from now on."

Ami turned to stare at Akane and Ryoko. "I see."

*****

The campus cafeteria at Ohtori was unlike anything any student would have believed. The food was gourmet quality, and supplied as part of their school fees. The staff were helpful and pleasant, always willing to go that extra distance for the children with special or just unusual needs. And then there was the seating.

The main eating area was a spacious covered square surrounded by pillared arches. While the many tables were large, only four chairs sat at each table, allowing much space for the dinners. Even at the height of lunchtime, the room held an atmosphere that encouraged quite discussion, as opposed to the cacophonic conversations often found in public dining places.

"Where is she?" Haruka demanded, looking around.

"I'm sure she has just met a friend and lost track of time, Haruka-sama," Hanako offered before Michuru could. "Hotaru-chan seems more than able to take care of herself." The Rose Bride smiled sweetly when Haruka glared at her.

"Hanako is right, Haruka," Michuru added. "I doubt Hotaru can get into much trouble on school grounds, and she knows not to leave the grounds without supervision."

Haruka frowned. "Don't forget, she's had trouble with bullies before."

"Those reasons don't exist anymore." Setsuna scowled, thinking back to when the other personality that had dwelt within Hotaru had lashed out violently at the girl's friends. In the end Hotaru had become shunned as a freak by her schoolmates.

"Oh, that kind of thing would never happen at Ohtori," Hanako interjected. "Nanami-senpei would be most displeased, and everyone seems to dislike her in that mood." The other three looked at her in interest.

"The student council president?" Michuru inquired. "Why would she be so against it?"

"A memory of an old friend, I believe she says," Hanako replied. "Although I've heard that she was involved in similar, before she took her place on the council."

"Sounds like our Student Council president is a very complex person," Haruka commented.

Hanako smiled sweetly. "More than you think, I imagine. I have found that is the way with people."

Haruka stared at the quiet girl for a few seconds, and was about to reply when she sensed a presence behind her. She turned slowly to find an unexpected sight. "Makoto?"

The pony-tailed senshi smiled and nodded. "Haruka, Michuru, Setsuna, nice to see you." She grabbed a chair, dragging it towards the table. "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course," Michuru replied, "please do."

Makoto looked across the table at Hanako. "Haruka, I hear you got engaged recently. Congratulations."

Haruka's face darkened. "You're involved in this too?"

Makoto held up her hand, showing them the ring there. "I thought I was the only one in our little group to get one. Guess I was wrong." She turned to look at Setsuna and Michuru. "And you?" The others nodded.

"What of the others?" Michuru inquired.

Makoto replied with a shrug. "Minako managed to convince her family to send her here with me, so she brought Artemis along. Last time I saw Ami, she was head down in a book, trying to tune everything out, and Rei's... well, she's just Rei."

Haruka snorted. "Sounds like the Sailor Team has fallen apart."

"What's it to you?" Makoto snapped. She paused briefly, forcing the anger off her face. "Anyway, I was wondering, what are you three doing? I thought your territory was out there. You know, beyond the solar system."

Haruka snorted. "Like that mattered to you guys, you were always treading on our toes."

"And it's a good thing we did, or we would have lost!" Makoto snapped back.

"Makoto," Setsuna interjected soothingly, "our domain is things not of this world or time. Ohtori has an otherworldly and eternal feel about it."

"Besides which, WE were invited!" Haruka added. Across the table Michuru groaned quietly.

"So was I!" Makoto returned.

"A token gesture," Haruka returned with a snort. "Can you do anything without your FRIENDS?" She twisted the last word, spitting it like an insult.

"Just watch me!" Makoto growled, leaning forward her face a barely controlled mask of fury.

Haruka gave a short bark of laughter. "If you think you can do better, maybe you should challenge me to the duels."

Makoto leapt to her feat. "I'll do that! Be at the duelling arena after school!" She spun and stormed off, knocking aside another girl in boy's uniform as she went.

*****

The children danced in a circle, cavorting around their caregiver as Morrison dancers do a maypole. "Story time. Story time," they chanted. As one they stopped and bowed low to the woman. "Please tell us a story?"

"Settle down, now children," the woman said. The children gathered before her, one bringing a chair on which she could sit.

Smiling she started her tale. "Once upon a time - for all great stories start so - there were two knights of a kingdom fair."

On the wall behind her popped up two shadows, both bulked up as if clothed in heavy armour. One wore a ribbon in her hair, and the other braids hanging out from her head.

"Both knights, who were friends of old, sought the favour of the Queen for a tourney that approached," the Narrator told them, "but this lead to unfortunate circumstances, for the Queen could but favour one competitor at a time."

"My friend, I wish you to step aside in this quest," announced the braided shadow, swinging the shadow of a sword. "Our swords should not meet in this manner."

The shadow with the ribbon also brandished its sword. "I too seek not to come to blows with you! However I will not falter in my pursuit of our Lady's favour."

"Then, old friend, we must fight!" The braided shadow stabbed forward, a blow his opponent failed to deflect.

"And so," continued the Narrator, "the knight did defeat his friend, winning the right to seek the Queen's favour. A rare prize indeed, for a lady's favour brings luck in battle."

"Now there is nothing that stands in my way!" the remaining knight declared, standing victorious.

Again a shadow popped up beside her, its body covered in the silhouette of a fabulous ball gown and a crown sitting atop the ribbon on her head. "But surely, oh brave knight, you must know that I can only favour my husband, the King, in the coming tourney."

*****

Minako looked up the stairs with trepidation. The forest was foreboding at the best of times, but the setting sun had painted dark shadows amongst the closely knit trees. The entrance to the forest, an ornate gateway inset into the stone wall that surrounded it, was lit, but from the angle she stood, she could see nothing inside.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" she asked, of her friend.

"I'm sure," Makoto replied. Minako however noted a slight tremor in her voice.

"Here, Haruka should be waiting." Minako held out the sword she held in her hands. "Take care of it and it will serve you cookies," she said solemnly.

Taking the sword, Makoto looked her friend in the eye. "Minako, you sure know how to spoil a moment." She smiled. "But thank you anyway."

She was three steps up the stairs when a second voice called out. "Makoto." She turned back to look at the white cat standing next to her friend. "Don't fight with your anger, you can't win like that."

Makoto nodded once, then turned to ascend once more.

The entrance groto was stone, with basins to either side of a raised pathway. A gateway stood at the far end, a relief of a bird in flight looming over it. Ignoring all of this, Makoto confidently strode down and gripped the ornate handle in the centre of the gate.

She watched the drop of water fall away from glossy black pool to strike the ring on her finger and turned at the sudden sound of falling water behind her. Rivers of water were following from the top of the wall, filling the basins with water, that then flowed out and down past the stairs she had just come up. Turning back once again, Makoto saw the gateway finish opening, the relief above it now fanned out to form a rose.

Moving forward, Makoto passed through the gate into the forest beyond. The pathway became a cobblestone pavement, lined with ancient lamps and beyond that the darkness of the dense forest. Briskly, she moved along towards the ancient support that rose into the air above the forest.

Without a thought, she mounted the stairway the spiralled around the column, taking her up and up and up and up and up. She past the tree tops, passing into the darkening sky. Around her the sky seemed to be arcing up to a peak, somewhere above the column, like the tip of an egg.

Light filtered down over the lip of the arena above, and as Makoto approached she caught sight of something she had only read about in the letters from "Ends of the World."

Above the arena, in the apex of the sky dome, floated a castle of light, its parapets and towers reaching down towards the arena. As Makoto looked up, stars danced in and out of its windows, and the lines seemed to blur like a half remembered dream.

"So, you had the courage to join us after all," Haruka sneered.

Makoto lowered her gaze to stare at the other Senshi. Haruka stood, still wearing her dark blue men's uniform, only now a few interesting touches had been added. A brass bar now padded each shoulder, and a single tassel hung down from her right shoulder to tie into the centre. White silk tails had been added to the bottom of the jacket.

Not far away from her stood Hanako Asano, the rose bride. Her red hair still streamed down her back, only instead of the school uniform she always seemed to wear, she was now clothed in a long scarlet dress the billowed out at her waist to reach down to touch the ground. As always, she wore a sweet smile.

"Of course I came," Makoto returned calmly. "You should know I never run from a fight."

Haruka smirked for a second. "Well then, shall we begin?"

"Aren't you forgetting something? Like a sword."

Again, Haruka replied with a smirk. "Let me show you one advantage of being engaged to the rose bride. Hanako, prepare us!"

"Yes, Haruka-sama." Hanako turned, and stepped up to Haruka, a rose in her hand. As she stepped away, Makoto could she it was a delicate flower with a pink centre and splashes of gold on the tips of petals. Hanako then stepped up to Makoto herself. Looking down, Makoto saw a rose whose petals that faded from a golden heart to a beautiful orange at their tips.

"Thank you, Hanako," Makoto smiled at the girl, who returned the smile.

Returning to Haruka's side, Hanako took a deep breath, and reached up to the other girl's chest. "Oh rose of Devotion," a small glowing glob appeared beneath the girls hand, "reveal the power sleeping within," Hankao gripped the globe, "and grant us the power..." as Haruka arched back, Hanako drew forward a long bejewelled blade.

"...to revolutionise the world!" Haruka finished, taking the sword in one hand and wrapping the other around Hanako.

*****

On a balcony not far away, three pairs of watched the arena with interest. Nanami lowered her opera glasses briefly. "Curious, when we first duelled, the champion drew the sword from the bride. It wasn't until later that the situation reversed."

Mitsuru looked up from where he lay staring through the telefocus lens of his camera. "Maybe it is a sign that Ends of the World is starting where he left off."

Wakaba stopped squinting through her telescope long enough to look at the other two for a moment. "Or maybe it happens differently every time."

Above them, in the office of the chairman, a dark skinned man watched the proceedings. He simply leaned against one of the archways, a glass in one hand, smirking. "Excellent, it begins again."

*****

Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Tell me that isn't the sword I think it."

Haruka examined the blade as Hanako retreated back some distance. "It certainly resembles it." She grinned, lowering the sword to point at Makoto. "Shall we find out?"

Makoto raised her own sword to salute Haruka, then lowered it into the enguarde position Minako had taught her. "As you wish."

Haruka dove forward, her blade flashing in the light of the castle. Makoto easily deflected the blow, then feinted around, to strike at Haruka's flower. Haruka leapt back, grinning.

"I see you've been learning. Where did you find a teacher?" Haruka sword flashed out again, and Makoto dodged backwards.

"Minako, that's why she insisted she come with me." Makoto sidestepped another jab, and then struck out.

Haruka deftly parried the blow. "She knows how to fence? Seems a little too flaky to me." She slid the sword along Makoto's, and then pulled up hoping to snag the other's rose.

Makoto twisted aside, slashing out with her sword. "Minako's been a senshi longer than any of us! Leave her out of this!"

Haruka arched back to avoid the wild swing then stabbed forward, hoping to push the other girl off guard. "You and the others are WEAK!" She stabbed forward again, pushing Makoto further back. "Look at the way you rely on each other." Another thrust sent Makoto back another few steps. "Ami or Rei has to think or sense things." A fourth thrust forced Makoto back further. "You and Minako bring strength and skill!" Her sword dove in again, this time striking dangerously close to Makoto's rose. "And without Usagi, you are all NOTHING!" She struck out again, her sword flying straight towards the rose.

Makoto reeled back, overbalancing and falling back. "How dare you?" Makoto cried as she struck the ground.

Haruka stood over her fallen opponent, sword directed at the rose. "How dare I? Because I have strength. I only work with others because we are stronger together, not because we are weak alone!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Makoto's sword flashed upwards, forcing Haruka back. She followed up pushing herself up off the ground, somersaulting upwards. At the peak of her leap, a lightning forked down from the castle, striking the twisting girl. Electricty and light played across Makoto's body, then arced out to form three rings around her. In a burst of bright green she vanished, forcing those watching to look away or shield their faces.

*****

On the balcony the three watchers made no comment, just continued to stare, with the click and whirr of Mitsuru's camera. However the one watching above them reacted differently. The smirk fell from his face, even as his drink fell from his hand, the glass shattering on the ground.

*****

Sailor Jupiter tightened her gaze to focus her opponent. She stood in the skintight white leotard with pink bows and a short green skirt around her waist. A golden tiara adorned her brow, a single green gem resting in the centre of her forehead.

"I may not be as smart as Ami, or have experience like Minako, Rei's spiritual talents, or even be as loving as Usagi. But they are my friends despite that!" She raised her sword, diving forward. "THAT'S WHY I LOVE THEM!"

There was a clash of metal on metal as sword meet sword, then silence. Haruka turned to see Sailor Jupiter kneeling on the arena floor, panting heavily. Slowly the other girl stood, and turned, revealing the rose still whole upon her chest, even as the pink and gold petals floated past Haruka's face, born away by the winds.

Bells rung out, announcing a new engagement.

*****

Akio stared out across the empty sky. "How? How is it possible? Are you favouring this girl? Why? She is no prince, she has little nobility. Why does she have this power?"

Even as he mused on these questions, a level beneath him, a curtain fell back into place over a window that looked into the only bedroom in the Chairman's wing.

*****

"Are you sure you want to do this Makoto?" Minako inquired.

The senshi of nature nodded. "Yes." She reached out, to gasp the receiver with a shaking hand. "We should have done it when we first started. Thankfully it is not too late now." She smiled. "But Usagi would say it could never be too late."

Makoto lifted the telephone, then dialled. "Hello, Rei, we have to talk."


End file.
